


Missed Connections

by notaverse



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-01
Updated: 2011-10-01
Packaged: 2017-10-24 05:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/259652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notaverse/pseuds/notaverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kame and Jin try to stay in touch while Jin's in America, but are hampered by world's worst phone line.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Missed Connections

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Missed Connections  
>  **Fandom:** KAT-TUN  
>  **Pairing:** Akame  
>  **Rating:** G  
>  **Genre:** Fluffy comedy  
>  **Disclaimer:** Not mine, damnit.

When Kame calls Jin in LA, the conversation is difficult, slow-going and often confusing. Not, as one might suspect, because of the years of history between these two men, but simply because the connection is so appalling that their talks usually degenerate into nothing more than a game of Chinese Whispers.

For instance, when Kame tries to tell Jin about the upcoming second album. Cartoon KAT-TUN II You is going ahead _sans_ Jin, and it has fallen to Kame to break the news as gently as he can.

"I don't know how to soften this, so: we're releasing an album without you."

Jin isn't quite sure what to make of Kame's news. He'd expected the group to continue activities without him, but this? "I didn't know you drew well enough for that."

On the other end of the line, Kame's perfectly plucked eyebrows knit together in confusion. "We're not doing the cover art ourselves," he says carefully.

"What about the art inside?"

"I don't think there'll be any art inside. Maybe a few photos-"

"But how can you release an artbook with no art?" Jin interrupts.

Kame groans. "Not an artbook, Jin, an _album_. We're releasing an album without you!"

"An entire album?" Jin wails. "How could you?"

He hangs up.

\-----

Once Jin adjusts to the idea of a new album, Kame tries to tell him about it.

"There's not much rock on this cd," he explains. "There is a good one, though - 'Peak' appears on the album, and-"

"How come Pi gets to appear on the album when I don't?" Jin complains. "He's not even *in* KAT-TUN! How many other artists are you seeing behind my back, Kame?"

Kame contemplates restricting his future communications with Jin to Morse Code, or possibly smoke signals. "Pi is not going to be there," he says patiently.

"I don't care if he's not going to the fair!" Jin shrieks. "You can't replace me with my best friend. I knew something was going on when you filmed Nobuta together-"

This time, Kame's the one who hangs up.

\-----

After many emails with Yamapi, Jin realises his misunderstanding and calls Kame back to apologise. Kame wonders how much it would cost to buy a pair of carrier pigeons, but valiantly continues his attempts to apprise his absent bandmate of KAT-TUN's activities.

"Today, we shot the PV for 'Bokura no Machi de'," he says.

All the way over in LA, Jin drops the piece of cake he's holding, shocked. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Kame says, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You got shot for your TV! And in your own neighbourhood, too!"

At this point, Kame just gives up. "It's okay, he missed me," he assures Jin, who is fretting terribly on the other end of the line. "And he ran away when Koki showed up."

"Oh." Jin breathes a sigh of relief. "If you'd been hurt I'd have come home - you know that, right?"

Wonder of wonders, that makes it through intact. "I know," Kame says, and swallows hard. "And if you were hurt I'd come to you, even if I was in the middle of a tour."

Jin thinks about all the lonely nights and draining days he's had since coming to America, and how much easier they would've been with Kame by his side. But then he wouldn't have felt compelled to learn, to struggle by himself, and no matter how unhappy he is sometimes, he can't let himself rely on anyone else. Not for this.

"I'm doing okay," he says, keeping his tone light, and changes the subject before he can beg Kame to drop everything and come to America to be with him. "So, what's your solo like?"

Now they're on safer ground. "I think it sounds seductive," Kame says, and Jin can practically hear the smirk in his voice. "Ueda says it's romantic."

The line must be going again, because Jin can't believe Kame just said that. "Ueda's sleeping with Ryo-chan?"

Kame is, understandably, surprised by this. "He is? How do you know?"

"You just told me! Kame!"

Kame doesn't respond, doubled over as he is with helpless giggles while he wonders if Jin has actually misheard or is merely spreading gossip.

"Kame!" Jin says again, slightly put out at being ignored.

Kame gets himself under control, because he's good at that, and remembers he has to leave for a photoshoot. "Sorry, I have to go," he says, hoping it won't be garbled by static. "I'll talk to you again soon, okay?"

"Okay." As Jin is about to hang up, he whispers, "I miss you."

Kame catches it, but before he can reply the line goes dead, leaving him listening to the empty air.

\-----

The next time Kame calls Jin, he decides to see what other strange rumours he can get going. He knows full well that Jin will have forgotten them all by the time he gets home.

"Matsumoto's quit - says it's his fate in life to become a barrister."

"Yes, it is a bit late in life for him to have a barmitzvah," Jin says blithely. "I didn't even know he was Jewish!"

"I didn't say he was going to be a bartender," Kame retorts. "I'm sure he'd be very good at it if he wanted to be, though."

"Masuda would be a very energetic bartender," Jin agrees. "What would the rest of NewS do without him, though?"

"No, I haven't heard the rest of the news about him. What else have you heard?"

Jin is about to launch into a torrent of gossip, mostly picked up through equally nonsensical conversations with his other friends, when he realises that if he doesn't get moving he's going to be late for class. "Kame, I'm really sorry but if I'm late again..."

"It's okay," Kame says, "I'm pretty busy myself. Talk to you later."

This time, just before Jin puts the phone down, he hears Kame's last words to him.

 _"I miss you too. Come home soon."_

\-----

After five months on hiatus, Jin's seriously starting to flag. Between homesickness, loneliness and blind panic, no matter how proud he feels of himself for striking out on his own like this, he's really, really wishing for the comfort of familiar surroundings right now.

Since he can't have that, he calls Kame.

Kame wants to tell Jin the important things, words that come from his heart, but he knows the bad connection will swallow them. Instead, he tells him meaningless things, starts a thread of conversation that begins with an outright lie and waits to see how it survives the trip down the line. He hopes the results will entertain Jin, because Jin seems in sore need of entertainment.

"I've been cast as a girl in a new drama," he announces.

Jin thinks it's lucky he's not eating anything right now, because he'd definitely have choked on it. Sure, Kame has fairly hairy legs, but could they really have cast him based on that? "You'll be the prettiest gorilla ever," he says gamely. "What's the plot?"

Kame smothers a laugh. _A gorilla?_ "It's a boys love story," he tells him.

This surprises Jin even more, but maybe the company has begun to indulge in more risqué material while he's away. "So you're what, playing a gay gorilla?"

"That's right," Kame says solemnly. "I fall madly in love with this other gorilla, but it doesn't work out because he's actually evil."

"He's actually an eagle?"

On the other end of the line, Kame rolls his eyes. "Yeah. An eagle."

"Ah. Interspecies romance." Jin coughs awkwardly. "Kind of a weird subject, isn't it?"

"Want to come home and play the eagle?" Kame teases.

"You want me to come home and be evil?"

"No, I want you to come home and be yourself."

That makes it through, and Jin's heart gives a little leap. "I want to come home too," he says hesitantly, "but not yet. Give me another month, Kame. I want to make it to half a year, at least. Then I'll come back to you." He doesn't mean to add those last couple of words, but they slip out anyway.

Kame smiles to himself and squeezes the phone tighter. "Yeah. Come back to me."

By the time they hang up, Jin's still feeling homesick, but now he's also feeling hopeful.

\-----

A little over a month later, Jin's safely back home, and while he's happy to be with the people he loves, he can't help but feel a bit upset that Kame didn't come to meet him at the airport as promised. Jin's so jet-lagged and kept so busy that he doesn't manage to get Kame alone for a few days, and when he does, he can't keep the hurt from his voice.

"You were supposed to come meet me," he sulks. "Even if you couldn't make it to the airport, it would've been nice if you'd at least left a message to let me know you weren't going to be there."

Kame takes one look at the award-winning pout and wraps his arms round Jin's waist, drawing him into a comfortable embrace. "Next time," he says gently, "send me your travel details in an email. Or IM me. Even send a telegram. Anything, just don't try to tell me over the phone!"


End file.
